


Beginnings

by omegawere



Series: The Sundered Planes [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Assassins, Dungeons & Dragons Character Backstory, Gen, Half-orc, High Fantasy, Original Character(s), high elf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omegawere/pseuds/omegawere
Series: The Sundered Planes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787719





	Beginnings

Rae gives a pained groan, shifting her body slightly as she begins to come to. The elf finds herself unable to move, straining against something tight holding her arms and body still. Her mind pounds against her skull with the smooth beat of her pulse. Able to hear the blood rush through her ears, Rae at least knew she was still alive. Focusing on the inky blackness behind her eyelids was almost comforting for the elf as she tried to distract herself from the dull pain slowly inching its way into her consciousness. Slowly breathing, eyes still shut, she attempts to understand her surroundings. 

The seat below her was hard and uncomfortable, it lacked armrests but did have some simple back support.  _ Face isn’t flush, feet flat. Good, I’m sitting upright. _ Rae wiggles her arms and fingers, her hands feeling odd with numbness. Something wrapped around her arms kept them taught and strained against the backing of the chair. Her legs were left unhindered and loose.  _ Just try to get blood back to your fingers. Then you can figure out what is going on. _ Rae shifts her shoulders and twists her forearms, eventually feeling the rough material around her appendages shift but continue to hold tight. A slight cool sensation slowly washes over Rae’s arms, indicating this position is at least allowing fresh blood to make it to her hands.  _ Just have to hold like this for a moment… _ Rae remains still, eyes still shut, she focuses on her other senses. Cool room, though not cold. Hard, uneven ground. Cobblestone perhaps? Her ears twitch slightly at small sounds around her. A drip of water, the sound of a small rodent scurrying somewhere in the room, the slight echo of footsteps from above.  _ A basement? _ She thinks. But most importantly, Rae knows she’s not alone. 

Searing white washes over Rae’s vision as a familiar piercing pain shoots through her head once more. This is the pain she felt before passing out. Not physical like getting punched or cut, but a sourceless pain, ever increasing in intensity. She inhales sharply with a choked groan, her muscles straining against her ties. Rae’s breathing picks up, inhaling and exhaling quickly in an attempt to gain control over the piercing migraine. Her eyes quickly flick open before squinting once more, blinded by the inclusion of light now entering her vision. A few moments pass before the pain begins to subside once more and Rae can get a better view of her surroundings.

Her vision trains on a small candle in front of her, appearing close to burning out but still providing good enough light to see a significant portion of the room. Rae stares at the candle in an attempt to readjust her vision to the light. Soon she can see the rest of what is in front of her. A wooden table, worn with age and rough with deep scratches and scarring from some kind of bladed instrument. She looks down at the matching worn wooden seat she sits on, noticing similar blade scarring located between where a person’s legs would normally separate.  _ Charming. _ Rae strains against her bindings once more,  _ It’s rough, has to be hemp. The knot’s tied well… It will be interesting trying to get loose. _ Rae begins to roll a rope knot in her fingertips, digging her short fingernails into the weave and beginning the process of loosening the material.

Another chair sits opposite Rae’s own at the other end of the table. Surely for whoever has captured her. The walls were stone brick, and the floor an unpaved cobblestone like expected. Sawdust and straw was messily swept up to the side of the room, however, many tufts lay strewn across the floor, stained with patches of some dark substance. Bolted to one far wall was a set of mannicles, loose and unlocked, laying on the floor. Rae’s mind briefly wanders,  _ Who would have brought me here? I suppose it could be anyone, though I thought I’ve been more than careful with my Fated… This looks like a room built for torture…  _

Another pang of pain forces Rae’s eyes shut once more, her chest tight as she holds back a scream. Her jaw clenches and her ears begin to ring with the pain, now suddenly unable to hear her own heartbeat. This time, the pain doesn’t stop, unrelenting as Rae breathes quickly, feeling her head get light and her vision go bright white behind her eyelids. She drops the knot from her fingertips, now digging her nails into her palms in an attempt to distract herself from the pain in her head. Her mind begins to spin and nausea creeps its way up her throat.  _ Is this what death is? Matron, please make this stop and welcome me quietly. _

As suddenly as the pain began, it stops. Rae’s eyes shoot open, her neck and body going limp. Staring blankly at her lap, she can hear the blood rushing in her ears again.  _ Not dead… Not dead… _ Rae heaves deep breaths, attempting to calm her pulse and regain her composure. She swallows the dryness in her throat and begins to feel the pain in her palms from her own fingernails.

Rae’s ear twitches in reaction to a sound to her far right. Her eyes quickly dart to the source of the sound. Rae wasn’t sure whether she just didn’t see it, or it was not there before, but now in the corner of the room was a narrow stairwell leading upwards. The hair on the back of her neck stands up and the pace of her breathing increases as she now sees a figure standing in the corner of the room next to this staircase.  _ Were they there the whole time? Did they see me messing with the ropes? _

They were tall, and a hood obscured the figure’s face and left their identity impossible to determine. “She’s awake!,” the figure shouts casually up the steps, their head only moving slightly, clear that their vision was still trained on the elf tied at the table. The figure’s voice was feminine and smooth with a slight accent unfamiliar to Rae. Rae refused to break eye contact with the figure as she slowly regained control of her breathing and heartbeat.

Moments that feel like hours pass before Rae can hear a set of footsteps approaching the stairwell. These steps were slow but heavy, made with casual purpose. By this time, Rae had at least her breathing calmed, even if she could still feel her heart beating out of her chest. It only took a few short seconds before this new figure could be seen. It was much bulkier than the person by the stairs, and they lacked any kind of face-covering. A male half-orc, donned in leather armor, a shortsword and daggers visibly strapped to his hip. His hair cut short, and his tusks filed down. His large build was intimidating by nature. Rae stays silent, her eyes flicking between the cloaked figure and the new half-orc, as he walks to the other empty seat across the table and sits down. 

Closer now, Rae could see his face clearly. Stocky with a strong jaw, common for half-orcish folk, and scars dotting across his face and neck in a variety of directions and patterns. “Glad to see you're finally awake. I was worried my friend over there might have fried your brain.” The orc lightly motions his head toward the cloaked figure, a wry smile spreading across his face. “You’ve been a curiosity to us for some weeks now.”

Rae trains her eye on the half-orc, taking a moment to swallow another dry mouthful of air before speaking. “Who are you?” Despite trying to regain her composure, Rae’s voice couldn't help but crack. 

“I think we should be asking  _ you  _ that, darling,” the orc, crossing his arms on the table, leans in closer. The old table groans with the sudden increase in weight. Rae waits another moment before opening her mouth to speak, but is cut off by the motion of the half-orc waving to the other figure, “Wait just a moment, sweetheart. Let my friend do some of ‘er magic to make this whole process easier for the both of us.”

Rae watches the other figure as they start speaking in a language unfamiliar and begin to walk around the edges of the room. One of their hands run along the wall, while the other moves in ways familiar to the elf, drawing particular sigils and symbols in the air, leaving a small trail of sparks behind their fingertips. As soon as the mage finishes the incantation the room noticeably becomes more quiet. The sounds of hoofbeats from above and mice scurrying in the dry straw could no longer be heard. It only made the sound of Rae’s heartbeat more noticeable.

It only takes another moment before the caster starts their next incantation. Again, the words were unfamiliar, but the motions of their hands rang true to some spell Rae already knew. As soon as the caster’s voice stops, Rae feels a tug at the back of her mind.  _ Zone of truth?  _ The tug was strong. This caster was skilled. Rae couldn’t help but think a small prayer in the hopes of strengthening her willpower against the caster’s spell. In only a moment, Rae releases a long sigh as she feels the thread created by the spell snap, and the tug in her mind subsides. The cloaked figure takes their position back at the wall next to the stairwell, confident that their spell took hold.

The half-orc clears his throat to regain Rae’s attention. “Now that that’s taken care of,” he leans back in his chair and Rae moves her gaze back to the orc, “I’m quite glad you were willing to speak with us today.” He gives another smirk, “No point in wasting time and beating around the bush. We’ve been tracking you, though we know little of you other than the fact that you have taken three of our contracts before our agents could complete them… At least, according to some of them whose work was taken out from under their noses. You do quick work…” The orc spoke slowly and deliberately, eyeing the elf with the clear intent of spotting any hint of fear or deception. Rae gives a brief nod, her face still beaded with sweat from the piercing pain in her skull, and now the new pressure of being interrogated. Her breath was heavier than wanted, but she made attempts to give little in the way of expression. 

“One mark killed before we could get to ‘em, fine. Happens from time to time. Two marks? A little tougher, but still could be a coincidence. Now,  _ three _ marks taken out,  _ days  _ before our agents get to it? That’s one hell of a trick, elf.” The figure leans forward in his chair once more. “You're not somebody in our creed already... I am curious as to how you would know to kill these particular marks… Who do you work for?” His voice came out in a low, gruff growl. 

Rae’s eyes dart from the half-orc to the cloaked figure, then back to the half-orc. She shifts in her seat, tugging at her bindings with her weight. “I don’t work for anybody.”

“Bullshit,” the orc barks. In a quick motion he stands, grabbing a fistfull of Rae’s platinum white hair and using it as a guide to harshly bring Rae’s head to the table. Pain briefly sears through Rae’s head again with the sudden movement and slam, a pained moan escaping her. The half-orc moves his face closer to Rae’s, “Anybody who knows this many of our marks is either in our org, or a competitor. And I know you aint with us.” He releases Rae’s hair and head, sitting down in his seat once more, his nose and lip crinkling in a near-snarl. 

Rae raises her head, her brows furrowed as she stared daggers into the orc. “I knew to kill them because it was ordered that they die. Their threads were coming to an end, and I just happened to be the one tasked with cutting them… I know nothing of your contracts.” Rae spoke smoothly, however it was clear her tone was tinged with anger.

“Tasked?”, he asked.

“I am a cleric, and a favored of the one I serve. Since being ripped from my home plane I have been tasked with ending the lives of those whom my goddess deems are destined for death. These particular people, your “marks,” just so happened to be the next one whom my lady told me to extinguish.” The half-orc stays silent, staring at the elf for a long while before speaking. “To whom is it that you serve?” His voice gave way with curiosity. Rae’s expression smooths as she speaks, not breaking eye-contact with the half-orc. Her fingers begin to once again sneak their way towards the knots in her bindings.  _ Just have to keep talking. _ “She has many names. On my plane she is most commonly known as The Matron. Some call her the Mistress of Winter. However, she is more commonly known as The Raven Queen.” 

“What’s she do?” The orc’s expression still read placid and serious, obviously attempting to find any hint of deception of Rae’s story. 

“She is the patron deity of death. She wards over the place between life and death, a protector of those passing from the plane of the living... to the afterlife,” Rae says unflinching, staring into the orc’s dark eyes. Rae strains against the bindings as she begins to feel them loose slightly. “You’re part of some organization, right? An assassins guild?” Rae’s cadence becomes one of curiosity, “Due to the nature of my Lady, I have a suspicion that my killing of your marks was no act of coincidence. Knowing her, she led me to you and your company.” The half-orc raises an eyebrow before looking to the cloaked figure. They give a few silent nods before the orc looks back to Rae, “What’s your name, kid?”

Rae squints at the moniker of ‘kid,’ giving a small huff through their nose before speaking. “My name is Re’Aile  Naïlo, daughter of Edralas and Anel Naïlo, though I suppose family lineage means little now.”

“Even so, we want to know who you are... Who you were... So please, continue.” Rae stays quiet for a moment, not averting her gaze from the orc as she works one portion of the knot loose with her fingers. “I come from a world called Siateria, within which was the nation of Olranis, where I resided, in the nation’s capital of Gallaia.” As she speaks, her fingers wriggle and shift the loosening knot before she begins working it over her wrists. “My father was an ambassador for our nation and a member of my country’s council of leaders. I was royalty, in a way.” Rae stops speaking, continuing to stare down the half-orc. He raises an eyebrow, motioning with his hands for her to continue. “I will let you know,” Rae slips another portion of the knot loose “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“The night is young,” he chortles as he leans back on his chair, “And we have plenty of time, darling.” Rae gives a sigh, “If you say so.”

“I was a cleric for a temple within my city, a healer. Mending the wounds of those who needed tending. Some of these injuries were a natural order, some were intentional. I treated commonfolk, soldiers, and royals alike. While I was not on the path to become high cleric, I was destined to ascend the ranks and become an esteemed healer.” Rae pauses, her gaze blurs as she begins to remember. The orc focused on her face, clearly enthralled with the story so far.

“Go on”, he says.

Rae’s vision focuses again, averting her gaze from the orc to one of the candles flickering on the table. The orcs eyes follow her gaze. “I had a family, a good life ahead of me. And it was all taken away in a moment…” The orc focuses his gaze on Rae again, her eyes glossy and unmoving from the candle. “I found myself here. Taken from my home, my life. Everything. Gone. That was… two years ago, I believe.”

“As time progressed and I learned more about this world, this plane, a certain understanding of the world dawned on me. A realization that caught the attention of The Matron. It was during my early years that she made it clear that she favored me. She spoke to me, blessed me with skills…” the last loop of the knot finally loosened, letting Rae slip her wrists from the tie and free her from the bindings. “Some of them interesting,” her gaze doesn’t move from the candle, “and others are more…” With a flick of her wrist and a snap of her fingers a copy of the cleric’s visage appears beside the cloaked figure, separating the orc from his mage counterpart. The orc’s eye’s flick to his side, seeing the new shape that was not there before. Instinctively, the orc gets to his feet, pushing the chair backwards as he stands. Rae is quick on her feet as the orc’s attention is diverted for just the moment. He reaches for a dagger at his side, only to find it missing, instead pressed against his throat. “...Deadly.”

A smile spreads across the orc’s face as a chuckle escapes his throat. “Impressive, darling. You’re fast on your feet,” he feels a bead of blood trickling down his neck. The orc shifts his weight on his feet, moving his body faster than his bulky stature would imply possible. His right hand finds Rae’s upper arm while his left grabs her hand, wrenching her middle and forefinger back. Pain rips through Rae’s nerves as she drops the dagger and her knees buckle, no longer under her control. With a chuckle, the half-orc twists and forces Rae’s arm up and behind her back, shifting her weight and turning her away from himself. Still holding on her arm, the orc forces Rae’s body downward with his own weight, bending her over the table at the waist. Rae struggles against the half-orc’s grip as she pants heavily, eyes darting around, desperately trying to formulate another escape plan. A low laugh escapes the orc’s chest as he leans in closer, “but I’m faster.” His large hands hold Rae’s arms behind her back as he continues talking, “but this isn’t a competition between you and me. Maybe this Matron of yours did have a larger plan in mind. There is an opportunity I’d like to present you. One which I think you’ll find intriguing…”


End file.
